shop for trivia night, he’d decided to scope out how it was run and the turnout in case it was something he might want to try in the future. He hadn’t expected to meet a woman he’d be reluctant to walk away from.
“This might sound pushy, but I’m only passing through here and I’m leaving tomorrow for business and I really want to ask for your number, so...what’s your romantic situation?”
“No boyfriend. No husband, though there was one once. No kids and we went our separate ways years ago. How long will you be gone?”
“It’ll be an extended trip, but I’ll be traveling back and forth a lot and I’d like to maybe see you when I’m in the city. You know, if you want.” Which was probably a dumb thing to say considering she was holding his hand.
“I’d like that.” Her voice was soft and warm and his mind jumped ahead to the possibility of a good-night kiss. “This is my building.”
He was so busy imagining how her mouth would feel, he barely registered that they’d stopped walking. Would her lips taste like margaritas? He started to reach for his phone, intending to program her number into it.
“If you come up, I’ll write my number down for you.”
Some of the blood left his brain and headed south, but he was no fool. He left the phone in its holster. “Sounds great.”
Darcy unlocked the glass door tucked between two business entrances and led him up the stairs to a very small hallway somebody had tried to make nice with a few potted plants and a bright throw rug. There was a door on either side of the hall and she unlocked the one on the left, reaching in to turn on the light.
Her apartment was small and pretty, just like her. The walls were a plain beige, but she’d hung colorful pictures on them and she had a bunch of those little pillows on the couch that matched the curtains and throw rugs that matched the one in the hall. He wasn’t surprised to see several bookshelves taking up space.
He watched her tear a sheet of paper off a memo pad stuck to the fridge and then rummage in a drawer for a pen. After jotting something down, she held it out to him. Darcy, from trivia night. And her number.
It made him chuckle. “How many Darcys do you think I know?”
“I thought it might help you remember me when you fish that out of your pocket later.”
In the light of the bar, he’d thought her eyes were a hazel color, but now—standing close enough to her to touch—he realized they were more green, with flecks of brown and gold. “I’m not going to forget you that easily.”
When she blushed again and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and then back again, he realized she either wanted him to make a graceful exit with a promise to call her later or make his move. The problem was deciphering which she was looking for.
Then she stood on her tiptoes and leaned forward, so he took the hint and moved in for the kiss.
* * *
D ARCY HAD NEVER BEEN SO thoroughly kissed in her life. When Jake first touched his mouth to hers, he’d been tentative, maybe even a little shy. Now she was backed up to her fridge, her nails digging into his shirt as his tongue danced over hers.
His hands slid from her waist up to her breasts and she moaned when his thumbs brushed over the taut nipples. Just the lightest touch, but it ignited a need in her stronger than any she’d felt in a long time. And then his lips left her mouth and blazed a trail down her neck.
“All I thought about tonight was kissing you,” he said, his breath warm against her skin.
“And yet you still almost always knew the right answer.”
“Well, I tried to pay attention when it was our turn, but when it wasn’t, all I could do was think about touching you.”
Darcy took a deep breath and said the words. “I’d like for you to stay. You know, if you want to.”
He straightened and looked down into her face. “You’re sure?”
“Very sure.”
“Then I want to.” He kissed her and, when she curled
“This might sound pushy, but I’m only passing through here and I’m leaving tomorrow for business and I really want to ask for your number, so...what’s your romantic situation?”
“No boyfriend. No husband, though there was one once. No kids and we went our separate ways years ago. How long will you be gone?”
“It’ll be an extended trip, but I’ll be traveling back and forth a lot and I’d like to maybe see you when I’m in the city. You know, if you want.” Which was probably a dumb thing to say considering she was holding his hand.
“I’d like that.” Her voice was soft and warm and his mind jumped ahead to the possibility of a good-night kiss. “This is my building.”
He was so busy imagining how her mouth would feel, he barely registered that they’d stopped walking. Would her lips taste like margaritas? He started to reach for his phone, intending to program her number into it.
“If you come up, I’ll write my number down for you.”
Some of the blood left his brain and headed south, but he was no fool. He left the phone in its holster. “Sounds great.”
Darcy unlocked the glass door tucked between two business entrances and led him up the stairs to a very small hallway somebody had tried to make nice with a few potted plants and a bright throw rug. There was a door on either side of the hall and she unlocked the one on the left, reaching in to turn on the light.
Her apartment was small and pretty, just like her. The walls were a plain beige, but she’d hung colorful pictures on them and she had a bunch of those little pillows on the couch that matched the curtains and throw rugs that matched the one in the hall. He wasn’t surprised to see several bookshelves taking up space.
He watched her tear a sheet of paper off a memo pad stuck to the fridge and then rummage in a drawer for a pen. After jotting something down, she held it out to him. Darcy, from trivia night. And her number.
It made him chuckle. “How many Darcys do you think I know?”
“I thought it might help you remember me when you fish that out of your pocket later.”
In the light of the bar, he’d thought her eyes were a hazel color, but now—standing close enough to her to touch—he realized they were more green, with flecks of brown and gold. “I’m not going to forget you that easily.”
When she blushed again and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and then back again, he realized she either wanted him to make a graceful exit with a promise to call her later or make his move. The problem was deciphering which she was looking for.
Then she stood on her tiptoes and leaned forward, so he took the hint and moved in for the kiss.
* * *
D ARCY HAD NEVER BEEN SO thoroughly kissed in her life. When Jake first touched his mouth to hers, he’d been tentative, maybe even a little shy. Now she was backed up to her fridge, her nails digging into his shirt as his tongue danced over hers.
His hands slid from her waist up to her breasts and she moaned when his thumbs brushed over the taut nipples. Just the lightest touch, but it ignited a need in her stronger than any she’d felt in a long time. And then his lips left her mouth and blazed a trail down her neck.
“All I thought about tonight was kissing you,” he said, his breath warm against her skin.
“And yet you still almost always knew the right answer.”
“Well, I tried to pay attention when it was our turn, but when it wasn’t, all I could do was think about touching you.”
Darcy took a deep breath and said the words. “I’d like for you to stay. You know, if you want to.”
He straightened and looked down into her face. “You’re sure?”
“Very sure.”
“Then I want to.” He kissed her and, when she curled
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